User:KSAN1417/Paracelsus

Evaluation

 * The Toxicology and Psychosomatism sections could use more work. Paracelsus is regarded by many as the "Father of Modern Toxicology" and he was one of the first physicians to acknowledge mental health yet these sections are very sparse.

Philosophy
In addition to astronomy, Paracelsus was also very religious and religion played a major part in how he approached science. He believed that science and religion were inseparable and everything that has been discovered and will be discovered is a direct message from God. It is our divine duty to discover and understand everything he has left for us. Paracelsus used this ideology as a way to motivate himself and others to never give up on difficult research. Paracelsus also believed that the virtues that make up natural objects are not natural, but supernatural and existed in God before the creation of the universe. Because of this, when the Earth and the Heavens eventually dissipate the virtues of all natural objects will continue to exist and simply return to God. His philosophy about the true nature of the virtues is reminiscent of Aristotle's idea of the natural place of elements. To Paracelsus, the purpose of science is not only to learn more about the world around us but also to search for divine signs and potentially understand the nature of God. If a person who doesn't believe in God became a physician, they would not have a better standing in God's eyes and will not succeed in their work because they don't practice in his name. Becoming an effective physician requires faith in God. Paracelsus saw medicine as more than just a perfunctory practice. To him, medicine was a divine mission and good character combined with devotion to God was more important than personal skill. He encouraged physicians to practice self-improvement and humility along with studying philosophy to gain new experiences.

Toxicology
Paracelsus was one of the first scientists to introduce chemistry to medicine. He advocated the use of inorganic salts, minerals, and metals for medicinal purposes. He held the belief that organs in the body operated on the basis of separating pure substances from impure ones. Humans must eat to survive and they eat both pure and impure things. It is the function of organs to separate the impure from the pure. The pure substances will be absorbed by the body with the impure will exit the body as excrement. .He did not support Galen's theory of the four humors. Instead of four humors, Galen believed there were three: salt, sulfur, and mercury which represent stability, combustibility, and liquidity respectively. Separation of any one of these humors from the other two would result in disease. To cure a disease of a certain intensity, a substance of similar nature but the opposite intensity should be administered. These ideas constitute Paracelsus's principles of similitude and contrariety, respectively.

Psychosomatism
Paracelsus is one of the first physicians to suggest that mental well-being and a moral conscience had a direct impact on physical health. He proposed that the state of a person's psyche could cure and cause disease. Theoretically, a person could maintain good health through sheer will. He also stated that whether or not a person could succeed in their craft depended on their character. For example, if a physician had shrewd and immoral intentions then they would eventually fail in their career because evil could not lead to success. When it came to mental illness, Paracelsus stressed the importance of sleep and sedation as he believed sedation (with sulfur preparations) could catalyze healing and cure mental illness.